Hospital staff in Leicestershire are being urged to help ease the shortage of organ donors by signing up to the NHS donor register.

E-mails are being sent out to all staff to encourage them to sign up.

The campaign is being led by Sir Richard Tilt, chairman of the Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Strategic Health Authority.

There are almost 8,000 people in need of a transplant in the UK and about 400 of them will die this year.

Peter Reading, chief executive of the University of Leicester NHS Trust, said: "Our staff are already dedicated to the health and well-being of the population and this is just one more way in which we can help.

"I have urged staff to take this opportunity and register their details."

The electronic campaign has been set up with the backing of UK Transplant and will enable the trust to find out how many staff have signed up in six months' time.